‘Most older generations of Malaysians, particularly those who received their primary and secondary education during the early years of the post-colonial era, from late 1950s to 1970s, when the medium of instruction was still English, have proficiency levels that are almost native-speaker level,’ according to a former English teacher (who wishes to remain anonymous), now coordinating EL programmes at provincial level in Malaysia. But she added, ‘The level of English language proficiency among today’s generation of Malaysians is declining in comparison.’

The Malaysian press has given extensive coverage to the country’s falling level of English, from complaints about English teachers’ proficiency to reports that some 1,000 students in Malacca allegedly dropped out of medical school due to poor English. The government has launched different language policies over the years to address the situations, but not all of them seem to have been successful.

The government’s Education Blueprint 2013–25 announced that from 2016 the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) secondary school certificate English paper would be a compulsory pass. However, earlier this year the Malaysian Examination Syndicate, part of the ministry of education, postponed this indefinitely. The ministry said this would give teachers and schools more time to prepare, adding that large numbers of students, especially in rural areas, would have failed the SPM had the compulsory pass been implemented.

Reactions to postponement have been mixed, with parents’ groups accusing the ministry of not taking education policies seriously. However, secondary school teachers and teaching associations were hugely relieved. The Malaysian English Language Teaching Association (MELTA) and the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) both supported the decision, calling for an official timeline for the new implementation. MELTA told the Malaysian Digest that a four-to-five-year notice would be required to allow students and teachers to fully prepare.

According to our source, a compulsory SPM English pass will not help improve English language proficiency among students as it would place ‘more emphasis on examination-oriented activities in the classroom, which will contribute to a deterioration of the quality of English teaching and learning’. In her view, the best way to foster proficiency in English is to instead immerse students in the language.

The government launched its Empowering Bahasa Melayu and Strengthening the English Language (MBMMBI) policy in 2010, which replaced the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics and Science in English (PPSMI). The ministry of education admitted that, ‘if the PPSMI policy is continued, a larger number of our pupils will fail to master mathematics and science and will eventually be left behind’. The MBMMBI policy reinstated the Malay language as a medium of instruction at national and secondary schools, and added more teaching hours for English. It will also launch the Dual Language Programme (DLP) later this year, with 300 primary and secondary schools taking part in the pilot. Under the DLP, schools will be able to teach science and mathematics in English to three year groups: standard 1(6–7 years old), standard 4 (9–10) and form 1 (12–13), the Rakyat Post reported.

Our source agreed the DLP will probably work better than the PPSMI as it gives schools and parents the freedom to make their own choices. ‘A school can only offer DLP if there are fifteen or more parents who want their child to be in the English language programme,’ she explained. ‘I strongly believe that a programme can only be successful if the people involved are willing to be in it, rather than forced to do it.’

In line with the MBMMBI policy, the education ministry announced in mid-2015 that it would hire trained English teachers from India to help raise the competence of local teachers, but the controversial move was put on hold in November. The Star Online reported that the ministry had a technical team deciding whether ‘there was a need to take in English language teachers from overseas or utilise local teachers, including pensioners’, and that the results would be released in 2016.

In November 2015 the state of Sarawak made English, along with Bahasa Malaysia, the preferred official language of the state administration. ‘I am just being practical – we don’t want our graduates to be unemployable,’ the chief minister told the Malaysian press. Despite support from the ministry, he has received sharp criticism from Malay-rights groups and other politicians. The state opposition leader, although agreeing with the decision, cautioned him that the federal government could invoke the national language policy and ask federal government agencies in Sarawak not to entertain any correspondence in English, or refuse to fund language training programmes for civil servants.

I recently experienced my first exposure to Malaysia ESL. What I don't understand is why the government requires a BA in an English related area for visa purposes (Lecturers) but does not consider graduate work in English related fields for this same purpose.

I recently experienced my first exposure to Malaysia ESL. What I don't understand is why the government requires a BA in an English related area for visa purposes (Lecturers) but does not consider graduate work in English related fields for this same purpose.

Okay, so my guess in the KYP thread was correct. You and the other lecturers dismissed don't have bachelor degrees in English, and that is what the Ministry of Education (MOE) requires to teach at the degree level. Well, it is their country.

Your best bet is to look around KL for schools that do offer the subject for which you have a BA. If it is accounting, economics, chemistry, or similar there is a good chance you could find a school that would take you. Most Malaysians getting degrees in useful subjects would prefer the higher-paying private industry jobs.

However, if you have one of those uniquely western degrees (e.g., Feminist Dance Therapy, Womyn Studies, Alternative History, and etc.) then all I can say is "Good luck with that".

This (one-year-old) posting is hardly a new story. The Malaysian government has been meandering between English and Malay as the language of teaching subjects such as Maths for twenty years.

Quote:

‘Most older generations of Malaysians, particularly those who received their primary and secondary education during the early years of the post-colonial era, from late 1950s to 1970s, when the medium of instruction was still English, have proficiency levels that are almost native-speaker level,’

The teacher who said that was probably talking about English language levels in Kuala Lumpur where older people do speak English very well whilst those under thirty years of age struggle. When I'm in Malaysia now, I really struggle to understand younger Chinese Malaysians on the phone. You could argue I should speak Malay, but neither will those young Chinese Malaysians. Meanwhile, the level of English in other parts of Malaysia, particularly the east coast, has always been quite low in my experience.

I don't know if companies such as CfBT still try and send native speakers to remotest rural parts of Malaysia to train local teachers. If I was a local teacher and some Mat Salleh Johnny-come-lately turned up to tell me how to teach, I'd pay little heed.

If Malaysia wants to speak Malay, so be it. As is the case already, people (usually Chinese Malaysians) will learn English, German or whatever to do business whatever the government decides.

I taught in KL in 1986-88 and even married a KL Chinese some years later. I have never met anyone in Malaysia who spoke in near-native English fluency. A babble of basic lexicon, sometimes. About the best you'll find is Singaporean financial interviewees on Bloomberg. Meanwhile it's all "I'll sen' you to airpoh' near my bungalow outstation lah."

It's not only Malaysia that exhibits this phenomenon of bastardized English. It's pretty much global. I'm sure there are a number of folks who have experienced this personally as they have taught in different locations.

I do heartily agree that many NES who are hired to be "teacher-trainers" need some training themselves in how best to accomplish this.

Here is one excellent free PDF source from Center for Adult English Language Acquisition:

The CAELA Guide for Adult ESL Trainers

October 2007
The CAELA Guide for Adult ESL Trainers contains training materials that enable professional developers and training staff to train local and regional program staff on important topics for adult ESL instruction. These topics are broadly categorized under Information for Trainers, Workshop Modules, Study Guides for Study Circles and Mentoring, and Resources for Training.

The content of the guide reflects what professional developers and trainers need to know and teach to adult ESL program staff. It provides information on who the audience is, and explains how it is organized and how it can be used. It also includes resources for professional development in specific topic areas; training modules that can be used to train staff; and study guides that can be used with briefs on important topics in adult ESL education.

There are also excellent certification course for those who consult and train educators for Enlgish immersion environments.

Frankly, I believe that the TESOL certification is a scam. It does not train educators. It is hours of monkey-see, monkey-do training equivalent to Candy Striper training in the medical field. The TESOL certificate is most certainly NOT a qualification to train educators in the ESL field.